User Testing Report

User testing of the website V2

Project Overview

Being a small business owner can be very lonely. NYC small business owners struggle to keep their businesses open due to the high cost of rent. To save money, they often work alone or with very few employees. They don’t have a team with which they can share their challenges or from whom they can get feedback.

Local Biz Collective is a supportive network that helps business owners build an alliance in their neighborhood. I have developed a set of engaging activities to build empathy, spark collaboration and inspire action. With this toolkit business owners can work together to co-address the obstacles of their industry.

Service Offerings

Toolkit

1. Teaches strategies on how to connect with others and moderate workshops.
2. Guides activities and how to use tools.
3. Encourages action.

Website

1. Entices users to get involved and download the toolkit.

• List benefits
• Show how it works/easy steps/phases
• Show other groups
• Show projects and what problems they solved
• Download the toolkit

2. Helps users understand how to get started.

• Start a new group or join an existing group in your neighborhood.

3. Holds users accountable.

• Inspire others by sharing their group outcomes on the website.

Methodology

• I conducted one-on-one remote and in-person interviews with the target audience.
• I asked users to read the toolkit before our meeting and asked follow-up questions during our interview.

User testing of the website V1

Users

• 2 small business owners, who have participated in the prototypes of the Local Biz Collective workshops.
• 1 small business owner who didn’t know anything about the concept.
• 2 designers, one with prior experience working at a small business.

Goals

1. Learn if users understand the concept and purpose of the toolkit based on the voice and tone of the website.
2. Learn what would entice users to get started and continue engaging with the toolkit and website.
3. Test the usability of the toolkit.
4. Learn what could be a barrier to business owners accessing and using the tools.

Key insights: Website

Homepage V1

1. At first glance, users can’t perceive the value of the toolkit and what it is.

• Clarify language, less use of design jargon
• Users don’t see how the projects implemented by other groups refer to their issues.

• They prefer knowing what was the problem first to see if it relates to what they are dealing with.
• Need more visuals of the produced idea, assets like the discount code.
• Users don’t understand they could join a group too.
• Events don’t make sense. Knowing who is running the meetings is more important than events.

2. Content is overwhelming: Users think it is a lot of work to use the toolkit and start a group.

Get Started page V2

• Clarify language. Users didn’t understand they can do this with others.
• “How it works” infographic has too many steps.

3. Build trust: Users want to know who are the participating businesses.

• Not clear on the website who are the other groups.
• Vetting system, are there requirements to join?

Key Insights: Toolkit

1. The preface of the toolkit is very vague. It doesn’t sell the concept to the users.
2. No one understood the purpose of the challenge and idea cards.
3. Users want to see more visuals and examples.
4. Not clear how long it takes to perform an entire workshop.

• Highlight that in the beginning that it only takes 1 hour.

5. Users suggested changes to instructions and order of some activities.

• Change the order of define goals activity to the first meeting prior to sharing their issues.
• Hold participants accountable by assigning tasks and due dates.

Key Insights: Concept Validation

After understanding what it is and how it works, users perceive the value of participating. (I iterated a new version of the website and tested again).

1. On homepage V2, users understood the purpose and value of the tools. They like the new tone and language of the second version of the website and the use of words: “collaboration,” “team,” “alliance.”
2. They would start a group or join one.
3. They would publish their ideas. One user told she would feel proud if her idea was approved and featured on the website.
4. They relate to the type of business under “who you are.”

Biggest questions

How can I incentivize and make it easy for business owners to start a new group in their neighborhood?

How do I explain how the toolkit works without overwhelming my users?

Next Steps

• Iteration and usability testing of the toolkit V2.
• One of my users will use the toolkit to facilitate the next meeting.
• Iteration and usability testing of the website V3.